By Darin 🏈 A Comedy of Errors in the Miami Heat
On January 17, 1971, the Baltimore Colts and the Dallas Cowboys met at the Orange Bowl for a game that would go down in history—not for its grace, but for its absolute chaos. As the first Super Bowl played after the official AFL-NFL merger and the first on artificial turf, it was supposed to be a showcase of modern football. Instead, it became the “Blunder Bowl,” a contest so riddled with mistakes it remains one of the most statistically bizarre games ever played.
The “Blunder Bowl” by the Numbers
The game earned its nickname through a staggering display of sloppiness that set records still standing today:
- 11 Combined Turnovers: A Super Bowl record that has never been surpassed.
- Colts’ 7 Turnovers: The Baltimore Colts committed seven turnovers (four fumbles and three interceptions) and still managed to win—the most ever by a winning team.
- 14 Combined Penalties: The Cowboys alone were flagged 10 times, costing them 133 yards.
The game was defined by “weird” plays, including a 75-yard touchdown from Johnny Unitas to John Mackey that only counted because the ball was tipped by a defender (a rule at the time), and a Dallas fumble that bounced through the end zone for a touchback.
Article from Jan 18, 1971 Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, New Jersey)
The Lone Losing MVP: Chuck Howley
Perhaps the most famous fact about Super Bowl V is its Most Valuable Player. To this day, Chuck Howley remains the only player in history to win the Super Bowl MVP while playing for the losing team. The Cowboys linebacker was so dominant—recording two interceptions and forcing a fumble—that the voters couldn’t ignore his performance, despite the 16–13 loss. Howley was reportedly so disappointed by the defeat that he initially didn’t want to accept the trophy.
Jim O’Brien’s Redemption
The game was a defensive struggle that saw legends like Johnny Unitas knocked out with a rib injury, leaving backup Earl Morrall to lead the comeback. With the score knotted at 13–13 in the final seconds, rookie kicker Jim O’Brien stepped onto the field. O’Brien had already had an extra point blocked earlier in the game, which had kept the score tight. However, with just five seconds remaining, he drilled a 32-yard field goal to seal the 16–13 victory for Baltimore, avenging their embarrassing loss in Super Bowl III.
Conclusion: A Title Won by Default?
Sportswriter Tex Maule famously wrote that the Colts won “not so much by design, but by default.” While Super Bowl V lacked the polish of later championships, its grit and unpredictability cemented its place in NFL lore. It was a game of “firsts”—the first post-merger title, the first on turf, and the first decided by a kick at the gun—proving that in the Super Bowl, even a “Blunder” can become a legend.
Big thanks to Pro-Football-Reference.com
